The History Of Email Marketing

The History of Email Marketing



Most of us jump on our work and personal computers several times each day to check our email. It has become an effective method of communication for work, personal relationships, and marketing. You may have noticed you get more emails encouraging you to purchase items than ever before. This is because email marketing has come one of the most popular methods of reaching consumers who make purchases online.

Email come into existence in the 1990’s as the internet was starting to become more popular. Businesses quickly figured out this was a great way to reach customers. It was also less expensive than mailing out advertisements to homes. By 1995 the number of email advertisements sent out that year was more than the number sent out by regular mail. Businesses spend a great deal of money creating email marketing campaigns that won’t be confused with spam.

In fact, email marketing hit a huge road block when spam filters became so popular. Many email marketing campaigns had to be revamped as they were being wiped out by the filters. Businesses were losing money on the marketing campaigns and not getting any results. However savvy computer programmers and businesses soon learned that effective email marketing titles and headlines as well as using their real email address helped get the emails past the various spam filters.

The internet was once used for research, entertainment and work related functions. The idea of shopping online has become very convenient in our society. After all, it allows you to compare prices in a flash. Most of us are too busy to run from store to store. Shopping online has given those in remote locations the chance to get all the gadgets out there they desire. It is only logical that consumers are paying more attention to email marketing since this is the method they are using to do a large portion of their shopping. Email marketing has become mainstream. Almost every website gives the consumer the opportunity to give their email address and consent to being solicited with email advertising.

On the other side of the coin are those who hate getting their email filled up with email marketing ploys. This is why every email sent from a business has to include a link that gives the consumer the opportunity to opt out. Businesses have to respect this choice made by the consumer and remove them from the mailing list. This was the result of legislation stepping in when the idea of email marketing started flooding every email address out there. There are rules and laws in place now to protect consumers against having their privacy invaded. The penalty for violating these laws include expensive fines and the possibility of jail time.

However, with the acceptance of email marketing by consumers comes their demands for effective advertising that meets there needs. Getting the email to the consumer is only half of the battle. The information you send them has to grab their attention and entice them to take the link to your website and make a purchase. Your email should be a teaser that it going to make the consumer curious enough to go directly to your website at that very moment. There is a lot of competition out there and businesses are having to come up with wittier and smarter email marketing campaigns to keep their consumers interested.

To Your Success, Michael Thomas

P.S. Email marketing will continue to evolve as those sending them have to find innovative ways to capture the attention of the consumer while getting ahead of their competition. Don’t expect email marketing to be replaced any time soon. It is anticipated 2.8 million dollars will be spent on email marketing campaigns in 2008. With that volume comes more responsibility on the end of the businesses that use email marketing. Not only do they have to follow the laws and regulations set, they have to respect the consumer as well as appeal to them. Businesses know that email marketing is on the rise so they have no choice but to participate in it or be blown away by the competition.